Granny Squares and More!

Welcome to another episode of The Secret Yarnery Crochet Blog! Today, I’m sharing a quick update on what’s been happening, and oh boy, do I have a lot to share! From hanging out with some wonderful ladies to ending up with 62 crazy-colored granny squares, it’s been an exciting week. Let’s jump right in!

 

Meeting with the Ladies and the Granny Square Craze

Yesterday, I had the best time meeting a group of ladies, and while I planned for around 10 women, 18 actually showed up! We gathered under the beautiful trees—it’s such a serene spot. The location is one of those places where you feel like you’ve entered a giant green oasis. Fun fact: this area reportedly has over 1,000 species of trees. So, imagine us crocheting, surrounded by nature.

I brought yarn parcels for everyone to make granny squares. But let me tell you, things didn’t always go smoothly—especially with language barriers and some rather interesting crochet techniques. Some of these ladies can join yarn with almost zero tail—amazing, but definitely not ideal for our granny squares. Still, we had a blast, and by the end of the day, I had collected 62 weirdly-colored, mismatched granny squares! Now, what to do with them?

If you have any ideas of what I can do with these crazy squares, share your thoughts in the comments! One idea I had was to stitch them all together using white yarn, hoping it would tone down the wild variety. But I’m open to any suggestions. If you’re curious yourself, you can check out some granny square patterns here.

How We Made the Squares

To ensure everyone could follow along, I made a simple granny square sample, focusing on four rounds. We also practiced weaving in the tail after each row to ensure it stays put, even after a hundred washes! Not every square was perfect (some were definitely more interesting than others), but perseverance was the key.

As we moved forward, I encouraged the group to leave longer tails so we could easily stitch the pieces together later. The highlight of the session was when I gave everyone scrap yarn to share and work with different colors—except I didn’t quite realize I’d end up with 62 multicolored, crazy squares by the end of the day! You can find inspiration from the Secret Yarnery with unique block patterns here.

Unexpected Fun with Swahili and Crocheting Techniques

The language barrier made things even more interesting since some of the ladies didn’t speak English. As for me, my Swahili is not great, but we made it work! We had some good laughs, especially when I was trying to count in Swahili while demonstrating certain stitches.

One of the funnier surprises was discovering these new techniques some of the ladies used. While they didn’t quite work for making standard granny squares, their yarn-saving skills were mind-boggling! I mean, how do you crochet with a yarn tail that’s less than a centimeter long? Hats off to them for sheer efficiency.

What’s Next with the Squares?

Now that I’ve got these 62 mismatched granny squares, I’m planning to sew them together into something. Some ideas include making a colorful pillow with an interesting folded pattern design or perhaps even turning them into a cozy dog bed.

What would you do with a bunch of slightly off, multicolored granny squares? Let’s not overlook the magic of granny squares—they’re the backbone of so many creative crochet projects, after all. If you’d like to follow more granny square-related tips or ideas, check out our feature on Blocks.

The Tissue Paper Holder Project

On a slightly different note, I recently made some tissue paper holders that look like little Kenyan-style houses. Yep, you heard me right! The idea hit me when I noticed my kids’ classrooms were missing tissues, and I figured, why not offer a fun solution? These are seriously cute and keep messy hands clean at school! I even made a few extra for the other classes.

I used basic crochet techniques, starting with a few rounds of double crochet, then shaping the project to fit a roll of tissue. Bonus: it pulls from the center, just like those Clorox wipes! Pretty neat, right?

Side Projects and Teacher’s Tools

In addition to my usual yarn projects, I’ve been busy creating small gifts for the school using leftover yarn. One of my helpers is crocheting these adorable Christmas balls, which we’re planning to make into fidget toys for the kids. This idea came from one of the teachers who thought the quiet, soft balls would be perfect to keep little hands busy without making noise.

We also brainstormed another fun idea: transforming these balls into a mini bowling set! Picture plastic water bottles as the pins, bright yarn balls as the bowling ball, and voilà—a cute, DIY kids’ game!

What About the Hug Shrug?

Before I forget, I’ve been itching to start a new tutorial for a hug shrug. It’s such a cozy project, and I can’t wait to get started. Let’s hope the batteries on my camera hold up long enough so I can squeeze in some recording before the kids get home. Stay tuned for that, and keep those hooks moving! You can explore more crochet podcast topics like this one in previous episodes, such as Episode 162.

Conclusion: Let’s Keep Crocheting!

So, that’s been my week—from meeting up with crochet-loving ladies and amassing a colorful pile of granny squares, to coming up with fun projects for the kiddos at school. If you’ve got any fun ideas for those quirky granny squares, toss them my way! Until next time, stay hooked!

Make sure to check out more crochet ideas and podcasts at The Secret Yarnery, and don’t forget to subscribe for more creative yarn adventures!

Stay cozy and keep crocheting!

Missed the last episode?  It’s HERE.